Hundreds Attend Vigil for New York Limo Crash Victims

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (AP) — A ceremony for the victims of the limousine crash that killed 20 people ended with participants lifting candles above their heads to signal unity and perseverance. Over 1,000 people jammed a riverside park in Amsterdam, New York, for Monday night's vigil as victims' relatives tried to come to grips with the tragedy that happened as a group of friends and family were on their way to a 30th birthday party. The supersized limo ran a stop sign and hit a parked SUV on Saturday in Schoharie (skoh-HAYR'-ee). Authorities have yet to say how fast the limo was going or determine why it failed to stop and sped off the road at the bottom of a long hill. The 19-seat vehicle had at least some seat belts, but it was unclear whether anyone was wearing them, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said. The crash about 170 miles north of New York City came three years after another deadly stretch-limo wreck in New York state spurred calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to examine such vehicles' safety. There is no evidence the state took any steps to do so. Some relatives of the dead shed tears as local officials expressed solidarity with them. U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat from Amsterdam, told a crowd that spilled onto a bridge spanning the Mohawk River, "We are crushed with you, we are crushed for you." Some relatives shed tears as a woman sang "Amazing Grace." The ceremony ended with everyone lifting their candles above their head...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Major Incidents News Mass Casualty Incidents Source Type: news